Errant Click Crashes German Parliament's Email

(Newser)
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Another entry in the "reply to all" fail category: A staffer in the German Parliament brought the government's email system to a standstill for about a half-hour after accidentally including all 4,032 co-workers in an email loop, reports Reuters. After the employee named Babette sent her email—"Please bring me a copy of the new directory"—hundreds began replying with responses ranging from the serious ("remove my name from your list") to the not-so-serious ("I'd like to take this opportunity to say hello to my mother").

"One mistaken click and the parliament's email system is turned into a new social network," said one member. Reuters characterized the snafu as a rare moment of levity in the oh-so-serious chamber, and an anonymous staffer who responded to the email agreed. "I think this is great. We should do this once a month. It'll help us grow together." (Read more email stories.)